Utility apps and sandbox-escape metrics

littleguy77

Hey guys, thanks for giving me the opportunity to publish my app on your platform.  I know the sandbox system has been discussed at great length here, but I wanted to surface a concern that I hadn't seen posted anywhere else.

I published my first app (FilePwn) yesterday evening and overnight it became the leader in thumbs-ups in the sandbox.  However, it's currently near last-place in the sandbox (farthest to the right).  I agree wholeheartedly that the sandbox-escape metrics should be much more than thumbs up, but a different set of metrics might be necessary for certain types of apps.  My "game" is a utility app, which focuses on doing a few tasks very well and very efficiently.  In other words, its goal is to consume less of the user's time rather than more.  Hence it scores very low on "play-time" metrics, which I gather are part of the escape criteria.

There may be other reasons that my app is near the bottom of the sandbox (e.g. it was published less than 24 hours ago), but I would humbly request that the team holding the keys to the sandbox take special care with any "games" in the App genre.

Thanks again :)

Shush

Great app, thanks for porting and releasing it to the OUYA.

littleguy77

Thanks for the compliment.  It's actually not a port; it was developed from the ground up for OUYA and its controller.  For now an OUYA exclusive ;)

Ayrik

This is a very valid concern.

dra6onfire

I completely agree. Especially if play time is one of the escape metrics. Utility apps will never have a massive volume of play time.

littleguy77

FilePwn made it out of the sandbox yesterday.  Had about 90 thumbs up in the first 24 hours (thanks all!).  So now I'm easily found in the Apps section.  I'm at the very back of the "Escape Artists" and "Apps" lists and I'm guessing will stay there for quite a while.  But it's good to be out :).

littleguy77

I should add, however, that my concern remains for this issue.  I'm guessing FilePwn made it out sheerly on thumbs up.  Many games get out of the sandbox with a far lower count.